The article explores why some countries choose to give foreign aid through multilateral organizations instead of directly. The researchers found that using multilateral intermediaries can help solve coordination issues between donors, but it may also dilute each donor's specific goals. By analyzing aid allocation decisions, they discovered that politics play a role for individual donors, but aid fragmentation and strategic behavior also impact where aid goes. Overall, multilateral organizations help with coordination and strategic issues, although politics still play a significant role in aid distribution.